Love And Hearts Ride West: Mail Order Bride: 16 Novella's Bundle

by Indiana Wake

  While he gave this speech his eyes begged her to understand him, his posture pleaded for something she did not have to give nor was she willing to give. She removed his hands and started to leave. He ran up to her and stopped her again.

  “I am sorry. I was insensitive and unsympathetic. Forgive me. I have been rude to you time and time again and I should have apologized sooner. I want to put all our differences aside and be friends if that is something you think you can give me and want as well,” he said, beseeching her with his eyes.

  She looked at him closely and he did seem to be rather apologetic. So, she nodded and said, “Yes, I forgive you. I apologize as well for my reaction. My mother is a sensitive topic for me.”

  “Let us agree not to talk about our mothers again and I’m sure we will be great friends,” Lawton said, grinning at her with hope in his eyes.

  “Yes, I believe we just might be,” Susan replied, smiling at him as they made their way back home.

  Chapter 8

  Cupcake began to limp around the house and yard as the week passed by. Lawton was spending more and more time away from the house. But he would stop by her room every night to check up on Cupcake, or so he would say. They would end up talking about simple things, likes, and dislikes. He didn’t mention the conditions with the rustlers and even if she asked he would give a non-committal answer and start up on a new topic.

  It seemed the only time the rest of them got to see Lawton was at breakfast, so Susan was glad that she got this little snippet of his time to herself. Now that Cupcake was healing so spectacularly, Susan thought it was time to move out and search for a place nearby. Somewhere that she could start her new life. It was something she regretted, especially now that she so enjoyed Lawton’s company, but it was necessary.

  She broached the topic with Mr. Treherne; just a week after Cupcake began walking around the house and yard. They had just finished breakfast; Lawton had headed out the same as usual and the happy couple was tending to the cattle that were corralled at the house. Mr. Treherne was reading his newspaper. Susan sat across from him nervously pulling at the hem of her skirt, she said, “Sir, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

  “What is it, child. Don’t be shy, go ahead and speak your mind.”

  “Well, I had planned on moving out after the wedding but I stayed on to take care of Cupcake. Now that she is better I wanted to let you know that I will be looking for a place and will be out of your hair soon.”

  “Why do you want to go away so soon, child. Are you not comfortable here?”Foster Treherne said and then a cloud darkened his features. “Is Lawton giving you a hard time again because if he is, I will have a few words with that boy, I will,” Mr. Treherne said in anger.

  “No no, Mister Lawton has been nothing but kind to me. We have mended our bridges and have become close friends. I just think that it is high time I leave. I need to start living my life, making a path for myself to walk on. By staying here, I am only delaying the inevitable. Please say you give me your blessing. The last thing I want to do is offend you or make you believe your hospitality is anything but generous.”

  “My dear child, I am only worried about you. I do not think a nice woman like you should be out in the world by herself. The world out there is a cold and dangerous place to be and one can easily be harmed or misled. But if you have made up your mind then I give you my blessing and my promise stands; any help at all I can give you, you only have to ask. I will be happy to help you by any means necessary and you will not leave without letting me set up a small income for you.”

  “Thank you, Sir. You are a kind and generous man. I will never forget all that you have done for my sister and me nor will I ever be able to repay your kindness. Lawton and Jarrett are lucky men to have you as their father.”

  “Now child, don’t you get all emotional on little ole me, ya hear,” Mr. Treherne said, trying to hide his misty eyes.

  “I should go tell Ellie of my plan to leave,” Susan said and taking leave of the man she went up to her sister.

  Breaking the news to Ellie was not that easy, but after a lot of tears and pleading her sister finally accepted that her older sister would be leaving her soon. They hugged and promised to stay in touch as much as possible as well as to visit often, once she had found a suitable place nearby to live. To make sure all went well, they knelt together and prayed for a nice place for Susan to live and for an easy journey to her new life.

  Chapter 9

  That evening Cupcake was full of herself. Her leg seemed totally healed and she jumped around like a puppy. While Susan sat sorting her things to pack up, there was a knock on the door. Knowing it would be Lawton she asked him to come in.

  He let himself in and looked around the room, with an eyebrow raised in surprise. “Quite a mess, I see. Has a hurricane passed through this room then?” he said with a grin. He moved a few items from the foot of the bed and sat down. Cupcake dropped the handkerchief she had been holding and jumped up to his lap her tail wagging furiously, for him to pat her as he did every night.

  Smiling in answer, she said, “No I was only sorting through my stuff.”

  “Sorting for what exactly? Are we taking a trip somewhere that I don’t know of?”

  “Oh, no. I was sorting my stuff so I could pack them up for when I move out,” Susan said a bit nervously. She was afraid of his reaction if she were to be honest.

  “Moving out to where?” Lawton said obtusely.

  “Well, now that Cupcake is better I have decided it is time I find a place to live and start my new life.”

  “You have a place to stay and what is the matter with your life here?”

  “I only mean that I can’t live here forever and it is time I learn to live out in the world and make something of my life.”

  “Why can’t you live here?” Lawton said.

  Susan could tell from the tic in his jaw that he was trying hard to reign in his anger. She looked at him in bewilderment. “How awkward would it be if a suitor came here to call on me? You all are Ellie’s family and mine by extension, but I would have to face a lot of ugly questions if I continued to stay here much longer. I will have no chance of ever hoping to get married if I stayed here. I do not wish to remain unmarried my entire life. So it is best if I make a reputation and name for myself away from here,” Susan tried to explain but she knew her words were rambling.

  “You know it is not safe out there,” Lawton whispered, his eyes turning to hers, with fear in them. “If you are away, outside the fenced area I cannot protect you.”

  “I am a grown woman, Lawton and sooner or later I will have to step into the world and take care of myself. You cannot protect me forever and I cannot stay here forever so this is a moot point,” Susan said, sadly.

  Lawton sat quietly for a while, looking at nothing. He opened his mouth several times as if to say something but quickly shut it without letting a word pass through. Finally he stood up and in a stiff manner, without making eye contact, he turned. “Well Miss Susan,” he said. “If you have made your decision then I can only wish you the best for your life moving forward. Now if you will excuse me, there is work to be done.” Slowly he walked to the door and left her room.

  Chapter 10

  Over the next week, Lawton did not visit her once at night. Somehow without his visits she could not sleep, she would toss and turn and wonder if he were safe. Wonder if he were still mad at her. Once or twice she even thought about changing her mind. Should she stay? But if she did she would become an old maid and have to live her life alone. She did not want that, she wanted a husband and children and to get that she had to leave.

  Each morning when they all sat down for breakfast she wanted to speak to him. To apologize and to try and get back the friendship that she missed so much. But Lawton would avoid looking at her and would sit sullenly and quiet. He was spending even more time outdoors and was hardly ever seen in the house. Maybe it was best if she left quickly; it was obvious she was up
setting things here.

  A week after Susan and Lawton had talked; she decided to take Cupcake for a longer walk. She was tired and needed a break from the house, a good walk would do them both good. There was a large fenced in area around the house and she had been told she was safe within its bounds. So packing herself a little picnic she set off to explore the grounds. Cupcake was enjoying the adventure, sniffing here and there and racing ahead before bouncing back to her full of joy. They went a little ways into the gardens, a bit farther out from the house. Cupcake was mending spectacularly and she was making the most of her healed shoulder by running around, jumping about and barking at every little thing. Susan was having a wonderful time, with the sun out and the nice summer breeze stirring up her hair.

  They came to a small creek and Cupcake stopped for a drink. It was a good spot so Susan lay down to enjoy the warmth of the sun. As she relaxed her eyes started to close and soon, she fell asleep.

  When she woke, she realized that it was almost sundown and the place was eerily quiet. She looked about for Cupcake but couldn’t see her anywhere. She got up and started searching for her, calling all the while but the dog was nowhere to be found. Desperate and worried, she was beginning to panic when she noticed that there was a large hole in the fence, leading outside the house grounds.

  Susan thought that Cupcake must have gotten out and now couldn’t find a way back in. She crawled through the hole and went out in search of her lost dog. She didn’t realize how far she had walked until she turned around and couldn’t see the house or the fence. The sun was setting, getting darker every minute and as much as it pained her to do so, Susan decided she must go back towards the house.

  She had just started walking back when she heard the sound of hooves. A smile crossed her face. Lawton would be so angry with her. A gang of men, on horses, rode up and surrounded her. They began circling her, but these were not the ranch hands from the Lazy T. As they started catcalling it dawned on her that she had stumbled upon the rustlers.

  “What’s a fine, young thing like yourself doin’ out in the middle of nowhere,” a man, who seemed to be the leader, called out.

  “Looks like a stuffed turkey to me,” another man called out.

  “Bet she’s good to stuff,” called another.

  “Grab her, boys,” said the leader and before she could scream out or fight, she had been bound and gagged.

  “Tie her up to one of the extra horses. We’re gonna have ourselves a feast tonight, boys,” the leader said and there was a cry of joy from his men.

  They tied her up and threw her face down over a saddle. Her legs and arms were secured to the saddle and they began galloping away. Every step was painful. She bounced on her stomach and her face kept slapping against the stirrup. The ground flew past before her eyes and blurred so much she felt dizzy. It seemed to go on for hours and no matter how hard she tried she could not free herself from the ropes.

  Feeling petrified and nauseous she continued to struggle but it was no good. Then she stilled herself and with tears running down her face, she sent a prayer up to the Lord, begging Him to save her from this situation for only He could perform a miracle like that. If only Lawton could find her, but no there were too many of them and she did not want to see Lawton hurt.

  Chapter 11

  At last the horse was yanked to a halt. Susan closed her eyes and tried to stop the nausea that was raging through her. She must be strong; she must look for any means of escape. One of the men approached and she forced herself to be still. He unceremoniously cut her off the horse and pulled her along roughly by her arm.

  Where was she? Looking around it looked as if they had taken her to an outpost. There was nothing to see and it must have been some miles from the ranch. Looking at the sky she realized the journey had not been the hours it felt like, maybe more like forty minutes. She was in a temporary camp there with tents set up around a booming fire. One of the men held her while the others tied up the horses and then she was dragged into the middle of the camp and tied her to a thick pole there.

  The leader stepped forward. “Men,” he shouted, “today we feast on meat and woman. I’ve brought you a fat one so she’ll have the stamina for our appetites. Feast my comrades, tomorrow we raid and bring home money and cattle. But let me tell you… before anyone touches the woman remember, I get her first.”

  Susan felt bile rise in her throat and the cold hand of fear slid down her back. Her knees were weak and she knew she was shaking. This was it she was dead or worse and she looked around the camp at over twenty ragged, desperate men. Tears burst from her eyes and she felt as if she may faint. Quickly she bit down on her tongue. One thing was for sure she must remain in control. Closing her eyes she whispered another prayer, this one was for strength. As her eyes opened, she realized the men were all shouting. Picking out their order and bragging about what they would do to her.

  Across one side of the fire, there was a stomping of boots to show their excitement. A man came up to Susan to cut her lose and take her to the leader when an idea came into her mind. It was a long shot but what did she have to lose? “Wait. I have an offer to make before anything happens here,” she said, her head held high.

  The men looked at one another and snickered; what could she possibly have to offer. The leader looked at her with a spark in his eyes and said, “I like this one, she’s feisty. Do tell what your offer is.”

  “You are all fine, strong men, away from your homes and the comforts life has to offer. If you let me, I will prepare dinner for all of you. A spectacular homemade dinner for you all to enjoy and forget your troubles of the road,” Susan said, sounding much more confident than she felt.

  “And what do you want in exchange for this supposed feast?” the leader asked, curiously.

  “That no one other than you be allowed to touch me. Not even to untie me,” Susan replied, bravely.

  The men started to grumble at this, but the leader quieted them down with a look. “A fair trade,” he said. “We can find women all over the country, but a home-cooked meal is something that doesn’t come wandering in every day. What say you men? Shall we enjoy the feast she has to offer?”

  The men all sounded their assent. “Well then, Scott, give me the knife. I must open the kind lady so she can get to cookin,’” the leader said.

  As he approached, Susan wondered if she had been conned. ‘Open her,’ he had said. She forced her body to be calm and stepped down hard on her heels to try and stop the way her legs were shaking. The leader was a thin, tall man with only two front teeth. He waved the steel in front of her and then slipped it down and cut off her ropes, freeing her. Grabbing on to her elbow he led her to the middle of the camp where the fire burnt brightly.

  He introduced a skinny, bald man as their little cook and asked the man to fetch her anything she needed. Then he turned back to his group of men and grabbing a bottle of rum, he began guzzling it straight from the bottle.

  Thanking the Lord that she had bought herself some time, she began to slowly start the preparations for the food. She looked for anything she could use in her defense. While working on the food, she soon pocketed a rusty half blade from an old knife, a box of matches, and a shard of glass that was lying about and then she saw some passion flower. Quickly she gathered some of the herbs and whispered a prayer of thanks. It would add an extra something to the meal.

  Doing her best to stay calm she went back to the fire and continued preparing the meal. Taking great care for it must be the best she had ever made. Her very life depended on it.

  Chapter 12

  Lawton rode towards the Ranch late as always and expected to find the house quiet and a meal waiting for him. He suspected that Susan always prepared it because the quality of the food had improved considerably since her arrival. Thinking about her a frown came across his face. How could he get her to stay? That was when he noticed the ruckus at the house. Ranch hands were all around and there were lights on everywhere. He kicked his heels
into the chestnut he was riding and galloped up to the house. Hauling on the reins he leaped from the horse and ran up to his father.

  “What is going on,” he shouted.

  Foster Treherne looked older than he had ever seen him and the worry in his dad’s eyes was like a knife to the chest. Somehow he knew it was Susan. His stomach filled with ice water and his breath caught in his throat.

  “Susan is missing,” Foster said. “I have called in all the hands and we have searched the garden and surrounding area. I have teams set up and we are going to do a grid search out from here. Do you want to take over?”

  What should he do? The grid search was the best way to find her. If she had fallen and been injured or been bitten by a snake, then they would find her. But what if the rustlers had her? The cold turned to heat and he got the urge to murder, to kill and to hack up every last one of them. “No,” he said grinding his jaw to keep his voice even. “There is somewhere I should check. Let me grab a fresh horse and I will be on my way.”

  Jarrett ran up with a black horse. “This is beauty, she is the fastest. Let me come with you.”

  “No,” Lawton said. “This is a long shot you are better to keep everyone here looking.” With that, he grabbed the reins and jumped onto the horse kicking it straight into a gallop.

  As the horse streaked across the darkness, he cursed his own luck. Why had it taken him so long to find these darn rustlers? But that did not matter, find them he had. Only last night he had followed them back to a camp. There he had hunkered down and watched. Checking on numbers, weapons and what their routine was. As he sped into the night, he knew there were too many. If Susan were there he would have to come back for reinforcements and while he did that what would happen to Susan? He kicked his heels into Beauty’s flanks and prayed that she was as sure-footed as her reputation. Galloping this speed was madness in the daytime, over this terrain in darkness it was suicide.